The Threat: Harvest Now, Decrypt Later
Understanding the urgency of Post-Quantum Cryptography.
What is Public-Key Cryptography?
The Lock and Key of the Digital World
Simple, accessible explanation of asymmetric cryptography (RSA/ECC). Use an analogy: a public mailbox where anyone can drop a message, but only you have the key to open it. Explain that this underpins everything: HTTPS, VPNs, digital signatures, and secure communications.
How Quantum Computers Break It
Shor's Algorithm: The Master Key
Explain that classical computers are bad at one specific math problem: finding the prime factors of a very large number. This is the 'lock.' A quantum computer, using Shor's Algorithm, can solve this problem exponentially faster. It doesn't 'guess' the key; it finds it with mathematical certainty. This effectively makes all current public-key locks obsolete.
The HNDL Attack (The Real Threat Today)
Why Wait? The Data Theft is Happening Now
This is the most critical point. The threat isn't when a quantum computer is built. The threat is now. Adversaries (especially nation-states) are actively downloading and storing massive amounts of your encrypted data. They are 'harvesting' it now, knowing they can 'decrypt it later' once a capable quantum computer exists. If your data needs to remain secret for 10, 20, or 50 years (e.g., medical records, government secrets, R&D plans), it is already compromised.
What is PQC?
The Solution: A New Generation of Math
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is not 'quantum' cryptography. It's a new set of classical algorithms designed to run on the computers we use today, but which are based on math problems that are hard for both classical and quantum computers to solve. After a multi-year global competition, NIST has selected the first set of standards.
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